56: Chapter 56 The Madman Xu Mo

The moment the applause rang out, Lu Jinghan snapped his eyes open, his pupils constricting slightly.

Qin Muchuan, Su Fuguang, and Zhou Tianchen stood up simultaneously, their gazes alertly directed toward the source of the sound.

From deep within the bamboo shadows, a figure slowly stepped out.

The person was dressed simply and had an unremarkable appearance—the kind that would absolutely vanish in a crowd.

Yet it was this very person who caused Lu Jinghan to shudder, his pupils contracting violently.

It was him! Memories of his past life flooded back like a tide.

Xu Mo—this name held an extremely special place in Lu Jinghan's memories of his past life.

He was a legend, a madman, an existence that had caused headaches for the Five Great Sacred Lands of the Central Continent.

In his past life, when Lu Jinghan first heard of Xu Mo's name, the man was only a Loose Cultivator at the Void Refinement Stage.

The Void Refinement Stage really didn't amount to much in a place like the Central Continent, where powerhouses were as common as clouds.

Yet it was this Loose Cultivator at the Void Refinement Stage who did something that shook the entire Central Continent—he provoked three of the Five Great Sacred Lands simultaneously.

He stole Medicinal Pills from the Zixiao Holy Land, burned down the Scripture Pavilion of the Xingchen Holy Land, and even carved a line of words in front of the mountain gate of the Taixu Holy Land.

"Taixu Holy Land, nothing more than this."

The eight large characters were bold and flamboyant, cutting deep into the wood.

The Elders of the Taixu Holy Land were fuming with rage and dispatched dozens of Disciples at the Void Refinement Stage to hunt him down.

But while Xu Mo's cultivation wasn't top-tier, his skill at escaping was unparalleled.

Time and again he was cornered, and time and again he slipped away from the encirclement.

The Holy Land Disciples chasing him not only failed to capture him but were instead killed by him in several instances.

For a time, Xu Mo's name spread throughout the Central Continent.

Some cursed him as a madman, some called him a fanatic, and others secretly admired his guts.

To dare provoke three Great Holy Lands with only a Void Refining cultivation—such courage couldn't be found in a second person in the entire Xuanhuang World.

In his past life, Lu Jinghan had clashed with Xu Mo several times, with each winning half the bouts—they were well-matched rivals.

Later, after Lu Jinghan broke through to Undergoing Tribulation, he heard news of Xu Mo again.

By then, Xu Mo had joined a mysterious power and, leading a group of experts, openly waged war against the Five Great Sacred Lands.

That battle was fought until the sky turned dark and the earth grew dim; only when the Five Great Sacred Lands joined forces did they barely manage to suppress that power.

And Xu Mo vanished during that battle.

Some said he died, some said he escaped, and others said he achieved Ascension.

Opinions were divided, and no consensus was reached.

Lu Jinghan didn't know Xu Mo's ultimate fate, but he knew this person was definitely no simple character.

At this moment, Xu Mo was standing right in front of him.

"Impressive methods."

Xu Mo spoke, his voice not loud and carrying a hint of playfulness.

His gaze swept over the four of them, finally landing on Lu Jinghan, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

"An Early Nascent Soul Stage repelling a Late-stage Nascent Soul and even managing to kill a few in return."

"This strength of yours would be considered top-tier among the younger generation of the entire Xuanhuang World."

He paused, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly into a faint, enigmatic smile.

"Interesting, truly interesting."

Lu Jinghan didn't speak, merely watching Xu Mo quietly.

His hand rested on the hilt of the Jinghan Sword, spiritual power slowly circulating within his body, ready to strike at any moment.

Zhou Tianchen stood by Lu Jinghan's side, his gaze also fixed on Xu Mo, his brow furrowed slightly.

He sensed that this seemingly ordinary man in gray had an extremely eerie aura.

Despite clearly being at the Peak Golden Core, he gave off the illusion of being a Nascent Soul expert.

"This feeling..."

Zhou Tianchen was secretly on guard, the flames within the qiankun furnace in his hand growing a bit more intense.

Qin Muchuan and Su Fuguang were even more on edge, as if facing a great enemy, tightly gripping their Magical Artifacts and not even daring to breathe.

Seeing the four of them so tense, Xu Mo didn't become nervous; instead, he started laughing.

"Relax, I'm not here to steal your things."

He spread his hands, indicating he meant no harm.

"If I wanted to steal from you, I wouldn't have clapped first to alert you."

Lu Jinghan was silent for a moment before speaking slowly, his voice calm.

"Then why have you come?"

Xu Mo tilted his head, his gaze sizing up Lu Jinghan.

"That battle just now made quite a commotion, and I happened to stumble upon it."

"An Early Nascent Soul Stage going head-to-head with a Late-stage Nascent Soul—it's the first time I've seen such a thing in all my years, so I couldn't help but come take a look."

He paused, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.

"Your sword technique is very interesting."

"That feeling of time slowing down—is it a Cultivation Technique? Or a Divine Ability?"

Lu Jinghan didn't answer, just watched him quietly.

Seeing him not answer, Xu Mo didn't mind and shrugged.

"Fine then, if you don't want to say, so be it. I was just curious."

He turned around and walked toward the depths of the bamboo sea. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Lu Jinghan.

"Hey, what's your name?"

Lu Jinghan was silent for a moment before slowly uttering three words: "Lu Jinghan."

"Lu Jinghan."

Xu Mo repeated the name, his lips curling into a meaningful smile.

"I've remembered you."

"I'm Xu Mo. Until we meet again, if fate allows!"

As his voice fell, his figure vanished into the bamboo sea like a wisp of smoke.

His aura was completely gone, as if he had never appeared.

Qin Muchuan let out a long breath, his tense body relaxing: "This person is so eerie."

Su Fuguang also nodded in agreement: "He's clearly at the Peak Golden Core, but when he stood there, I didn't even dare to breathe."

"I can't quite describe what kind of feeling it is, it's just..."

He thought for a long time but couldn't find the right words to describe it.

Zhou Tianchen's brow furrowed slightly as he spoke slowly: "Instinct—it's instinct."

"Our bodies are telling us that this person is dangerous."

Qin Muchuan and Su Fuguang looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.

That was exactly the feeling.

Lu Jinghan withdrew his hand from the sword hilt and gazed in the direction Xu Mo had vanished, remaining silent.

In his past life, he hadn't had much interaction with this madman; he wondered how things would differ in this life.

Lu Jinghan withdrew his gaze and looked at the three of them.

"This place isn't safe to stay for long. Let's leave first."

He paused, his gaze falling on the several corpses.

"Clean these up. Don't leave any traces."

Zhou Tianchen nodded and waved his hand. Alchemical Fire swept out, incinerating the corpses completely until even the ashes scattered with the wind.

Sect Master Yin Wuji had fled, but presumably, he wouldn't dare come looking for trouble again anytime soon.

Lu Jinghan took a deep breath and stepped toward the south.

"Let's go."

The group continued their journey southward, travel-worn.

Several months had passed since that brief encounter with Xu Mo.

The figures of Lu Jinghan and the others moved through the high mountains and lofty ridges of the Southern Wilderness, trekking across desolate Gobi deserts and crossing rapid rivers.

The further south they went, the thinner the Spiritual Qi became, and the more sparse the human presence.

The bustling cities and noisy markets were gradually left behind, replaced by desolate Peaks and endless stretches of primeval forests.